Maximum Ride: Band Geeks Or Not
by VicFirthThe1st
Summary: Max, Fang, Iggy, and Nudge form a band! Angel and Gazzy are like their agents! All Human! FAX at times! Song-Fic!
1. Odd One

__________

**Hey guys! If you've read my other fanfic's, you'd know that I have had a new story in the making, and this is it! AND it's a SONG-FIC!!!!!!!!! :D :D I really hope you enjoy it! I loved writing this chappie and I hope you love reading it!!!!!!! **

**Ages:**

**Max: 15**

**Fang: 15**

**Iggy: 15**

**Nudge: 13**

**Angel: 11 **

**Gazzy: 12**

I went into the arena and saw the huge stage and grinned as big as it could get. We were playing at the Super Bowl. The grandest of them all. I looked over at Nudge who was gaping and staring.

'Her eyes are almost as wide as her mouth!' I thought and chuckled to myself. Fang was setting up Iggy's drums and Iggy was adjusting Fang's mic stand. I had never understood why they set up each other's equipment.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's take a look back at how we got here.

It was a warm summer evening. Our band, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and me, Max, were sitting around bored as all get-out.

"Fang. Do you have any idea what we should do today?" Iggy had asked. Fang had shrugged, and I rolled my eyes.

"How about we start a band? Fang, you can sing and play guitar, Iggy plays drums, Nudge can play bass and sing, and I can play guitar!" I said, and three pairs of eyes looked at me. Except Iggy. He was looking at a spot to the left of me.

"Are you serious?" Nudge asked, and I nodded eagerly. She shrugged.

"What the heck? I say we give it a shot! And if it doesn't work out, well, we tried!" she said, and I smiled. I always loved her enthusiasm, but sometimes when she starts ranting, I don't like it as much.

"Hey, I'm in!" said Iggy, and we all looked at Fang. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and nodded.

I grinned and hugged his neck.

"Thanks guys! Let's go practice at Iggy's house." I said, and they nodded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We were standing in Iggy's basement with two mic stands, one for Fang and one for Nudge, a drumset, a bass guitar, and two Fender Stratocasters.**(awesome guitar. Search for pics. :D) **

Fang's guitar was all black (big surprise) and mine was dark blue with tie-dye effects in it.

"What song should we play first?" I asked, and they thought for a second.

"Ooh OHH!!" squealed Nudge and I looked over at her.

"Do you have an idea Nudge or do you just like squealing at odd intervals?" I said, and she nodded.

"How about 'Umbrella' by Rihanna?!" she said, and I shook my head.

"Hold on Max. There's a more rock-ish version of that song. It's a cover by Vanilla Sky. Here, I'll look it up." Fang said, and he went over to Iggy's computer. He went on youtube and found it.

I listened to it, and I nodded.

"Alright. I'll do that version." I said, and Nudge smiled.

"We need at least one song from everybody. Nudge, right these down." I said, and she went to get a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Um.." Iggy said before he flopped down into a bean-bag chair with surprising accuracy for a blind kid.

"I want to do 'Axl Rose' by SR-71." Iggy said after thinking for a minute. I nodded, and I turned to Fang.

"And you Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent?" I said, and he smirked.

"How about 'Obvious' by blink-182?" he said, and I grinned. He knew that was my favorite song of all time.

"Alright. Now-" I started but Nudge cut me off.

"Max! You haven't picked a song yet!" she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I was getting to that!" I said. "Now, let's do 'Odd One' by Sick Puppies."

All agreed on songs, now all we had to do was practice.

"Let's do 'Odd One' first, because it doesn't have many difficult cords." Fang said, and I nodded.

Nudge started playing a slow groove on the bass, and Fang started singing.

_Odd one, you're never alone_  
_I'm here and I will reflect you_  
_Both of us basically unattached_  
_To anything or anyone unless we're pretending_  
_You live your life in your head_  
_Some call it imagination_  
_I'd rather focus instead on anything except_  
_What I'm feeling_  
_What I'm feeling_  
_Odd one..._

Iggy kept building and building a slow beat, and now it was a full-fledged rocking beat.

_Hey, it's gonna be okay_  
_Hey, we're gonna laugh at this one day_

I was lead guitar, and I played a little improvisation lick before the second verse started.

_Odd one, I wish I was you_  
_You're never concerned with acceptance_  
_We are all desperately seeking out, a_  
_And fitting with anyone_  
_Who will accept us_  
_But not you, odd one_

I glanced over at Fang, who was jumping along with the music. I grinned and continued playing.

_Hey, it's gonna be okay  
Hey, we're gonna laugh at this one day_

Nudge stepped up to her mic and took a deep breath.

________

_Don't let someone tell you you're no-one  
Don't let someone tell you you're no-one_

My mouth dropped. I had NO idea Nudge had that much talent!

____________

_Odd one..._

"Oh my god, guys that was so great!" Angel, my little sister squealed, and Gazzy, Iggy's little brother, was clapping and cheering.

"Wow. Nudge, I didn't know you could sing that well!" I said, and she shrugged.

"Honestly, I didn't either." she said with a smile, and I laughed.

"Guys, I think we have a band!" Iggy said.


	2. Walking Disaster

**HOLA! Hope you like this chapter!!!!!!! This is one of my fav stories already and it's only got 2 chappies!!!!!!!!!!!!**

That night, we all decided to spend the night at Iggy's house and look for gigs on the internet. We had been practicing all afternoon, and we had gotten all of the songs down perfectly.

"Hey look at this guys. It's a Battle of the Bands. It's being held at the amphitheater downtown, and the prize is...A GIG ON THE VANS WARPED TOUR!!!!!!!" Iggy said, and I gasped and looked at the screen more closely.

"Oh my god! We've gotta win that contest!" Nudge squealed and Fang nodded.

"When does sign-up start?" I asked, and Fang looked closer.

"Um..June 9th." he said, and I nodded. That was 3 months to learn two more songs and get them perfect.

"Ok, what 3 more songs are we gonna play?" Fang asked, and I shrugged. I looked at Nudge, who, for the 1st time in her life, was speechless.

"One can be 'Walking Disaster' by Sum 41." Iggy suggested, and Nudge wrote it down.

"'She Hates Me' by Puddle of Mudd." Fang said, and I smirked. Emo.

"One more. Anyone?" I asked, and Nudge shrugged.

"'Lillian' by +44." said Gazzy, and we all turned towards him.

"Oh yeah! I love that song!" Nudge said, and I shrugged.

"What the hey? Why not?" I said, and Nudge grinned.

"Ok, let's get practicing. Let's do 'Walking Disaster' 1st." I said, and Fang picked up Iggy's drum-sticks.

"Fang, why do you have Iggy's drum-sticks?" I asked, and he looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can't sing like the Sum 41 vocalist, and Iggy can. Plus, Iggy can play guitar and drums, and so can I." he said, and I nodded in understanding.

"Here we go." Iggy said, and I nodded.

I started strumming very quietly, and Fang played a slow beat. Very well, I might add. **(Listen to the song while you read! It will make more since for the tempo changes!)**

_I haven't been home in a while. _

_I'm sure everything's the same._

_Mom and Dad both in denial._

_An only child to take the blame. _

_Sorry, Mom, but I don't miss you._

_Father's no name you deserve._

_I'm just a kid with no ambitions_

_Wouldn't come home for the world._

_Never know what I've become._

_The king of all that's said and done._

_The forgotten son._

_The city's buried in defeat_

_I walk along these no-name streets_

_Wave Good-bye to all_

_As I fall_

I pulled the amplifier cord out of my guitar slightly to create feed-back, but put it back in before we started playing faster.

Iggy was really good at guitar and singing, and took a deep breath for the first verse.

_At the Dead-end I begin _

_To burn a bridge of innocence_

_Satisfaction guaranteed_

_A pillow-weight catastrophe_

_Our Own Mission _

_Nowhere bound_

_Inhibitions underground_

_A shallow grave _

_I have dug_

_All by myself_

I spun the guitar around my neck for show, and we started the chorus.

_And Now_

_I've been gone for so long_

_I can't remember who's wrong_

_All innocence is long gone_

_I pledge allegiance to_

_A world of disbelief _

_Where I belong_

_A walking disaster_

_The son of all bastards_

_You regret you made me_

_It's too late to save me_

Suddenly Fang started singing while he played a quiet groove for the break

_(You regret you made me_

_It's too late to save me)_

_(And he said)_

_Far as I can tell_

_It's just voices in my head_

_Am I talking to myself _

_'Cuz I don't know what I just said_

_(And she said) _

_Far as where I fell_

_Maybe I'm better off Dead_

_Am I at the end of nowhere_

_Is this as good as it gets?_

I grinned. 'Obvious' may be my favorite song, but that was definitely my favorite verse of all-time.

_And Now _

_I've been gone for so long_

_I can't remember who's wrong_

_All innocence is long gone_

_I pledge allegiance to_

_A world of disbelief _

_Where I belong_

_A walking disaster _

_The son of all bastards_

_You regret you made me_

_It's too late to save me_

Fang hit the cymbals and started playing a groove on the hi-hat. Nudge started singing harmony with Iggy during the song break.

_(You regret you made me) _

_(It's too late to save me) _

Fang started doing a roll on the snare drum, and went from quiet to loud, and we started the final chorus.

_And Now I've been gone for so long_

_I can't remember who's wrong_

_All innocence is long gone_

_I pledge allegiance to _

_A world of disbelief _

_Where I belong_

_A walking disaster _

_The son of all bastards_

_You regret you made me_

_It's too late to save me_

We started playing the same slow beat from the beginning and I smiled as we played it.

_I will be home in a while_

_You don't have to say a word_

_I can't wait to see you smile_

_Wouldn't miss it for the world._

_I will be home in a while_

_You don't have to say a word_

_I can't wait to see you smile_

_Wouldn't miss it for the world._

I grinned, and the younger kids cheered. By now, even my mom, Iggy's dad, Nudge's mom, and Fang's mom and dad were downstairs watching and cheering us on.

"Thanks everybody. It feels great to be able to be this good after two days!" I said, and Iggy nodded. We were a band. And we were going to win that contest.

**R&R PEEPLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)**


	3. Dear Father

**Hey guys! 3 chappies in one night!!! CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!! **

I tossed and turned in bed, knowing that I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. I gave up my obviously futile efforts at dozing, and I went out on the Griffiths' porch. I made sure that the door didn't slam behind me.

I walked down the front stairs, and I lay down in the grass. I looked up at the stars, and I thought of my dad.

I'd never known him, and he'd died when I was very young. My mom had told me a lot about him, but I couldn't get a mental picture of him no matter how much I tried. I thought of a song, and before I knew it I was singing it. I didn't care who heard it, so long as my dad heard it.

____

_Address this letter to dear father  
I know you as complete unknown  
I guess it's better you don't bother  
All our truths should be left alone  
'Be left alone'_

I learned all things you never showed me  
took the chances you'd have blown  
And to this day the one and only  
You remain a complete unknown

complete unknown - 2x

You're out there somewhere  
I dont know if you care at all  
It seems that you don't  
It's as if the day will never come  
So you will remain a complete uknown

unknown..unknown..unknown..

So many years have been ignored  
you've been gone without a trace  
Im Getting used to knowing you're  
just a name without a face  
Without a face.. Without a face

You're out there somewhere  
i don't know if you care at all  
It seems that you don't  
it's as if the day will never come  
So you will remain a complete uknown  
2x

unknown..unknown..unknown..

Address this letter to dear father  
I know you is complete unknown  
I guess it's better you dont bother  
All our truths should be left alone

You're out there somewhere  
i dont know if you care at all  
It seems that you don't  
it's as if the day will never come  
So you will remain a complete uknown  
2x

You're out there somewhere  
i don't know if you care

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I finished.

**R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	4. Teenage Dirtbag

The next day, we had a gig as practice for the big Battle of the Bands. The gig was at our high school dance, and I was nervous.

I mustered a grin, and I looked over at Fang, who was tuning his guitar and waving to the crowd.

"What's up guys?!" Fang said into the mic, and the crowd cheered loudly.

"Alright! Awesome, awesome. Thanks for letting us play here tonight, and we'd like to start off with a song that we all love. This song is about any high-schooler that thinks they're worthless, but they're not. Here we go." Fang said, and I started playing a gentle rhythm on my guitar, while Iggy played a rhythm to match the guitar.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**(Song is Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus) **

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Her name is Noelle  
I have a dream about her  
she rings my bell  
I got gym class in half an hour

Oh how she rocks  
In Keds and tube socks  
But she doesn't know who I am  
And she doesn't give a damn about me

Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby  
Yeah I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby  
Listen to Iron Maiden baby... with me  
Ooohoooooo

_Cause i'm just a teenage dirtbag baby_  
_Yeah i'm just a teenage dirtbag baby_  
_listen to Iron Maiden baby with me_  
_Ooohoooooo_

_Her boyfriend's a dick_  
_he brings a gun to school_  
_And he'd simply kick_  
_My ass if he knew the truth_

_He lives on my block_  
_and He drives an IROC_  
_But he doesn't know who I am_  
_And he doesn't give a damn about me..._

_Oh yeah, dirtbag_  
_No, she doesn't know what she's missing._  
_Oh yeah, dirtbag_  
_No, she doesn't know what she's missing._

_Man I feel like mold_  
_It's prom night and I am lonely._  
_Lo and behold_  
_she's walking over to me._

_This must be fake_  
_My lip starts to shake_  
_How does she know who I am?_  
_And why does she give a damn about me?_

Nudge stepped up to her mic and took a deep breath.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby_  
_Come with me Friday - don't say maybe._  
_I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby_  
_like you_  
_Ooohoo Hoo Hooooooo_

We all jumped before we started playing again, and the crowd cheered even louder than before.

_Oh yeah, dirtbag  
No, she doesn't know what she's missing.  
Oh yeah, dirtbag  
No, she doesn't know what she's missing._

We strummed the last note together, and Iggy stood up and pumped his fist.

"Thank you guys!" Fang said before we all took a bow and walked offstage.


	5. Handle This

"That was great guys!" I said to no one in particular, and they all nodded in agreement.

"Hello, are you with the band?" some guy said. He was wearing a business-type suit and tie, he had his hair slicked back to where it was actually pulling his eyebrows, and he had shades on.

"Who are you?" Nudge asked, and he reached into his blazer pocket.

He handed Fang a flyer, and shook our hands.

"Nino Pierpont. I'm the person that is hosting the battle of the bands this year, and we'd like you to participate." he said, and I gasped. It had said on the site for the battle of the bands that you had to be invited to participate!

"You want us to play at the battle of the bands?" I asked, and he nodded with a smile.

"You kids are great! Any good rock band needs that 'it' factor, and I gotta say, you've got 'it'!" he said enthusiastically.

"Wow. Thanks!" I said, and we shook hands again before he walked off.

"Oh yay! I can't wait!! What song are we gonna play?? I think we should play 'Umbrella' by Rhianna but covered by Vanilla Sky! Ohhh that would be so great!!! That would make the crowd cheer louder than ever before!!! We need to practice it! I can't wait! I can do back-up vocals, and Max, you can put an awesome guitar solo somewhere in there!! And Iggy could do a drum solo like that guy on Youtube!! What's his name? Cobus, I think? He's got some major skills! He could definitely beat Iggy in a drum battle!! I'd like to se-Mfph." Iggy clapped his hand over Nudge's mouth.

"Jeez, Nudge! I love your enthusiasm, I really do, but you're going to kill us all! Or our ears at least!" I said, and she folded her arms over her chest and stuck her lip out. I laughed out loud at that, which made her stick it out even farther.

"Ok, it says here on the flyer that we have to have 3 songs. They don't have to be original." Fang said.

"Ok, Nudge, we're gonna do 'Umbrella'. Iggy, what song did you want to do again?" I asked, and he thought for a minute.

"Oh, yeah. 'Axl Rose' by SR-71." he said, and I nodded.

"Fang, do you want to pick the last one?" I asked, and he nodded.

"'Beast and the Harlot' by Avenged Sevenfold." he said. My mouth dropped and he grinned.

If you've never heard of the band Avenged Sevenfold, you need to, and the guitarist, Synyster Gates, is like, one of the best guitar players of this century.

"You're gonna need practice." Iggy said, then started laughing and high-fiving Fang.

"Yeah, well I'm not the only one. You've gotta follow in the Rev's footsteps!" I said to Iggy, and his laughter ceased abruptly.

"Crap, I forgot about him!" he said, and I stood up. The Rev was the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold before he passed away of stomach cancer. **(A/N: R.I.P :( We'll miss you)**

Iggy looked at his watch and stood up.

"I gotta go, guys. We'll practice at my place tomorrow. Peace!" he said, then walked around the curtain and out the back door of the auditorium.

"So?" I said to Nudge, and Fang. They shrugged.

"Wanna play another song?" I asked, and they nodded.

"Ok. Let's go." I said.

We went back out on stage, only to find the auditorium was empty except for a couple people.

Nudge got behind the drum set, and Fang put the bass around his neck.

"You're gonna have to play lead and rhythm. Can you do that?" Fang asked me, and I nodded.

Nudge played a small drum fill before we started playing.

____

**(Song is Handle This by Sum 41)**

_You said it once before  
You don't do those things you used to anymore  
You say in doubt we're fading out  
Forgetting who we used to be_

Cause I will bring you down  
I don't want to miss  
I don't think you can handle this  
You've lost what you can't find  
Never what you had in mind

You take it with a smile  
It's so easy when you're always in denial  
Just in time but out of line I can't make all the same mistakes you want me to

Cause I will bring you down  
I don't want to miss  
I don't think you can handle this  
You've lost what you can't find  
Never what you had in mind

You're giving up  
You know it's not what you need  
And it's true what you're going through  
Try so hard not listen to everything I never say

Cause I will bring you down  
I don't want to miss  
I don't think you can handle this  
Cause I will bring you down  
I don't want to miss  
And I don't think you can handle this  
You've lost what you can't find  
Never what you had in mind

I'm getting over getting used to  
And after all that I put you through now I see I'm not the only one

I never thought It'd ever come to  
This in fact was never what you wanted from me  
Or how you meant it to be

I'm getting over getting used to  
And after all that I put you through now I see I'm not the only one

I never thought It'd ever come to  
This in fact was never what you wanted from me or how you meant it to be

"YAAAY!" said Nudge.

**R&R!!!!!!!!!!**


	6. Battle of the Bands

**NEW RECORD! LONGEST CHAPPIE EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOPE YOU LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

The next days passed pretty uneventfully, and before we knew it, the Battle of the Bands was a day away.

"Okay guys, we've got these songs down!" I said, and they nodded.

We were in Iggy's basement making some last minute preparations for the competition.

"So, are we going for the 'you gotta fight...for your right....to party!' sound or are we going for the 'you gotta listen to this political shit 'cause it's the real deal' sound?" Iggy asked, and I looked over our songs.

"Both. We've got the punk side from blink-182 and SR-71, and we've got the political from Anti-Flag, and we've got hard-rock from Avenged Sevenfold, and we've got a ballad from Sum 41. So, yeah." I said, and Iggy nodded.

"Alright. What's the song order?" Fang asked, and I handed him the list.

"I was thinking of saving blink for last, because we can fade out." I said, and he nodded.

"And we can do Avenged Sevenfold first, to set the mood." Nudge said, and we all looked at her.

"How do you know how to order a concert?" I asked, and she chuckled.

"It's not like I haven't been to a rock concert before!" she said, and I looked at her skeptically.

"Oh, yeah? Who'd you see?" I asked.

"Three Days Grace and Sick Puppies." she said without hesitation. I stared blankly for a second, but Fang snapped me out of it by tapping me on the shoulder.

"We should practice." he said, and I nodded.

"Alright, let's do it in the order of the concert."

Fang took a deep breath and began to sing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today was it. The day of the Battle of the Bands.

We were at the amphitheater, awaiting the start of the competition, when this guy with long, dark blonde hair swished over one eye walked over to us. As he got closer, I noticed his eyes were a color I couldn't describe very well. They were almost the color of the Caribbean ocean. Beautiful.

"Hey guys. I heard you were one of the bands in the competition today." he said, and Fang nodded.

"Yeah, why?" he said, and the mystery man shrugged.

"We are too. What kinda music do you guys play?" he said, and Iggy stepped up.

"Punk, straight-edge, and hard-rock. What about you guys?" he said, and the mystery man chuckled.

"Pretty much the same, except we don't do as much straight-edge. What's the name of your band?" he said.

"Immortal Misfortune. What's yours?" I said, and he glanced at Fang before returning his gaze to me.

"Everlasting Justice." he said, and one of his band-mates called over to him.

"Gotta go. See you later, Max." he said, and he smiled and started walking towards his band.

"How did he know my name?" I asked Fang, who shrugged.

" Dude, I thought we were past the 'strong and silent' stage." I said, and he shrugged with a tiny smile on his face.

"We go on after Dylan's band." said Iggy, and I turned toward him.

"Who's Dylan?" I asked, and Iggy picked up his drum-sticks and tested everything before responding.

"The guy you were talking to." he said, and I nodded in understanding.

Well, Dylan looked good.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey guys, how you doing?" Dylan said into the mic. He had a dark red guitar draped over his neck, and he was grinning big.

"Good? Great! Okay, before we start, I want to tell you, this is our first live performance, so don't criticize if we mess up! Alright, we're gonna start off with this song. It's called 'Motivation' and it's by Sum 41. Here we go."

**(If you haven't figured it out, the song is 'Motivation' by Sum 41)**

_What's the difference of never knowing at all?_  
_When every step I take is always too small._  
_Maybe it's just something I can't admit but lately,_  
_I feel like I don't give a shit._

_Motivation such an aggravation,_  
_Accusations don't know how to take them._  
_Inspiration's getting hard to fake it._  
_Concentration never hard to break it._  
_Situation never what you want it to be._

_What's the point of never making mistakes?_  
_Self-indulgence is such a hard habit to break._  
_It's all just a waste of time in the end._  
_I don't care so why should I even pretend._

_Motivation such an aggravation,_  
_Accusations don't know how to take them._  
_Inspiration's getting hard to fake it._  
_Concentration never hard to break it._  
_Situation never what you want it._

_Nothing's new, everything's the same._  
_It keeps on dragging me down, it's getting kind of lame._  
_I'm falling further behind, there's nothing to explain._  
_No matter what you say nothing's gonna change my mind._

_Can't depend on doubt until the end._  
_It seems like leaving friends has become this years trend_  
_and though I can't pretend, a Friend would be this way_  
_It's not the same but who's to blame,_  
_For all those stupid things I never said._

_Motivation such an aggravation,_  
_Accusations don't know how to take them._  
_Inspiration's getting hard to fake it._  
_Concentration never hard to break it._

_Motivation such an aggravation,_  
_Accusations don't know how to take them._  
_Inspiration's getting hard to fake it._  
_Concentration_  
_Situation never what you want it to be._

_Never what you want it to be._  
_Never what you want it to be._

Wow. Dylan had a beautiful voice. To match his supermodel face, no doubt. Once their performance was over, my mouth was all but hanging open. They were good. No, they were _great._ We had some competition after all.

"Alright, our next band is Immortal Misfortune. Give it up!" said Nino, and we walked out onto the stage. The crowd was cheering wildly, and I was glad we were here.

"Hey guys! Glad you came out! This is our first real gig, unless you count playing at a high-school dance a gig! Ha, so, we're gonna start out with a song from Avenged Sevenfold, and I really want you to give it up for our lead guitarist, Max! This song has a crazy hard solo, and we hope you like it!" he said, and he gestured to me. I smiled, and plugged my guitar into the amp.

Iggy took a deep breath, because he was the screamer in the band.

Iggy let out a long blood-curdling scream into his mic, and I actually cringed.

Once his scream was over, we started playing at a really fast pace.

**(Song is Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold.)**

_This shining city built of gold, a far cry from innocence,_  
_There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep._  
_A city of evil._  
_There sat a seven-headed beast, ten horns raised from his head._  
_Symbolic woman sits on his throne, but hatred strips her and leaves her naked._  
_The Beast and the Harlot._

_She's a dwelling place for demons._  
_She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird_  
_and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings._  
_Fallen now is Babylon the Great._

_The city dressed in jewels and gold, fine linen, myrrh with pearls._  
_Her plagues have come all at once as her mourners watch her burn._  
_Destroyed in an hour._  
_Merchants and captains of the world, sailors, navigators too._  
_Will weep and mourn this loss with her sins piled to the sky,_  
_The Beast and the Harlot._

_She's a dwelling place for demons._  
_She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird_  
_and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings._  
_Fallen now is Babylon the Great._

I took a deep breath and stepped forward into my own little spotlight. I started playing the solo, my fingers flying up and down the fret-board.

"Yeah! Let's go, Max!" I heard Fang say, and I finished the solo with a long high note.

_The day has come for all us sinners._  
_If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground._  
_Flee the burning, greedy city._  
_Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around._

_I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell._  
_You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see._  
_Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,_  
_You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever._

_She's a dwelling place for demons._  
_She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird_  
_and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings._  
_Fallen now is Babylon the Great._

_She's a dwelling place for demons._  
_She's a cage for every unclean spirit, eery filthy bird_  
_and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings._  
_Fallen now is Babylon the Great._Iggy let out another long scream, and I grinned. I had hit the solo perfectly.

"Alright!!!! Give it up again, for Max!!" Fang said, and I grinned and waved.

"Alright, this next song is a song about world peace, ending the fighting, yada yada yada. Anyway, let's go!"

**(Song is '911 for Peace' by Anti-flag. This song is in this story by request. ;) you know who you are.)**

_It's in the paper every day_  
_You see it in the headlines and you feel so sick, yeah_  
_Another life leaves this world (this world) so full of hate_  
_But short_  
_Short on compassion_  
_Short on humanity_  
_Asking myself in vain, shaken by the shock,_  
_"Do we even have a chance?"_

_[Chorus: x2]_  
_I don't wanna die_  
_(I don't wanna kill)_  
_I don't wanna kill_  
_(I don't wanna die)_  
_We are all human._  
_It's time to prove it._

_This is a plea for peace (world peace)_  
_To the oppressors of the world and to_  
_To the leaders of nations, corporate profit takers,_  
_to the every day citizen_  
_Greed, envy, fear, hate, the competition has to stop._  
_When you see someone down, now's the time to pick them up_  
_Set our differences aside and never look back, again_

_[Chorus: x2]_  
_I don't wanna die_  
_(I don't wanna kill)_  
_I don't wanna kill_  
_(I don't wanna die)_  
_We are all human_  
_It's time to prove it._

_Let me hear you sing_

_Isn't everybody tired of the killing? (hey, hey)_  
_Isn't everybody tired of the dying? (hey, hey)_  
_Isn't everybody tired of the killing? (hey, hey)_  
_Isn't everybody tired of the hatred? (hey, hey)_  
_Violence... (hey, hey)_  
_fighting... (hey)_  
_killing... (hey)_  
_hatred.. (hey)_  
_aaaaaah!!_

_Right now if you don't know the person standing next to you,_  
_Turn to them extend your hand, shake their hand, make a new friend,_  
_This is our family, this is our community! Let's fucking sing!_

_I don't wanna die_  
_I don't wanna..._  
_I don't wanna die_  
_I don't wanna.._

_Let's go!_

_[Chorus: x2]_  
_I don't wanna die_  
_(I don't wanna kill)_  
_I don't wanna kill_  
_(I don't wanna die)_  
_We are all human_  
_It's time to prove it_

_We are all human_  
_It's time to prove it._  
_[x2]_

_We are all human..._  
_And that's the truth_"Alright!" Fang said, and we grinned.

"Okay, this next song, is a ballad. So, be ready." he said, and the lights dimmed. It was night now, so you couldn't see anything. Suddenly, a spotlight shown on Fang, and only Fang. He was holding an acoustic guitar, and he was playing a gentle rhythm.

**(Song is 'With me' by Sum 41)**

_I don't want this moment to ever end_  
_Where everything's nothing without you_  
_I'll wait here forever just to, to see you smile_  
_'Cause it's true, I am nothing without you_

The spotlight faded, and Iggy crashed the cymbals. We were all playing now, and Fang had his regular, electric guitar back.

_Through it all, I made my mistakes_  
_I stumble and fall, but I mean these words_

_I want you to know_  
_With everything I won't let this go, these words are my heart and soul_  
_I'll hold on to this moment you know, 'cause I'll bleed my heart out to show_  
_That I won't let go_

_Thoughts read unspoken, forever in doubt_  
_Pieces of memories fall to the ground_  
_I know what I didn't have so, I won't let this go_  
_'Cause it's true, I am nothing without you_

_All the streets where I walked alone, with nowhere to go_  
_have come to an end_

_I want you to know_  
_With everything I won't let this go, these words are my heart and soul_  
_I'll hold on to this moment you know, 'cause I'll bleed my heart out to show_  
_And I won't let go_

_In front of your eyes, it falls from the skies_  
_When you don't know what you're looking to find_  
_In front of your eyes, it falls from the skies_  
_When you just never know what you will find (what you will find)_

_I don't want this moment to ever end_  
_Where everything's nothing without you_

_I want you to know_  
_With everything I won't let this go, these words are my heart and soul_  
_I'll hold on to this moment you know, 'cause I'll bleed my heart out to show_  
_that I won't let go (I want you to know)_  
_With everything I won't let this go, these words are my soul_  
_I'll hold on to this moment you know, 'cause I'll bleed my heart out to show_  
_that I won't let go_Nudge had made her way over to a piano, and she now played four keys over and over, but it sounded like the skies had opened up and angels had just played that song.

I had tears streaming down my face at the song's beauty, and I looked over at Fang and Iggy who were clapping loudly and cheering, tears streaming down their faces too. Half of the crowd was crying, and Mr. Pierpont came out to the middle of the stage.

"I think we have our winners. Immortal Misfortune!" he said, and we all had a group hug.

When we all broke apart, I looked down into the crowd to see Dylan cheering and clapping. I'm glad he wasn't disappointed that he lost.

"Alright! Thanks a lot you guys! It means the world to us!"

**R&R!!!!!!!!!**


	7. Atlanta Bound

**Sorry for the long wait! I been busy! So I hope you like this chappie even though it's kinda a filler. :D**

"So how'd you like performing in front of thousands of people?" I asked Fang, and he shrugged.

"It was okay, I guess." he said, and I stared at him in disbelief. He grinned, and said, "I'm just kidding! You know I loved it!"

I chuckled and sat back into my plush beanbag chair.

"So, how do you think our band's gonna work out?" Iggy asked from the couch across the room from me. I shrugged.

"I hope it goes well. We could be the next Led Zeppelin!" I said, and Iggy and Fang burst out laughing.

"Name two songs by Led Zeppelin!" Fang said through his laughter.

"Black Dog and Immigrant song." I said, and that shut him up, but Iggy was still laughing.

"If you can tell me the name of Led Zep's greatest hits album, how many discs it had, and how many songs it had, I'll shut up." Iggy said, and I grinned.

"Mothership, two discs, and 36 songs." I said triumphantly. He shut up after that.

"So where's our Warped Tour gig at?" I asked Nudge, and she shrugged.

"Ask Iggy. I just wanna take a nap." she said, and she laid back in the chair.

"It says we're going to Atlanta." Iggy said, reading the flyer.

"Atlanta? That's like all the way across the country!" I said, and Iggy nodded.

"The good thing about that, is that it'll be like a real tour! Just with one gig." Iggy said with a chuckle. He looked at his watch, and looked back at me.

"It's getting pretty late, and I guess I'm gonna hit the hay. Night." he said, and he closed his eyes and laid down on the couch.

Pretty soon after that, Fang fell asleep too, and I was left alone to sit and think. But thinking isn't one of my strong points, so I also fell asleep. I dreamed about many things, but one thing stood out above the others.

**Ohhh wonder what it is? R&R to find out!**


	8. Flying

I was standing in a field. The sky was very cloudy, but it wasn't raining. I looked around, hoping to see something that I knew. As I did a 360, something brushed by my leg. I looked down and saw a small fuzzy animal of some kind. I bent down to its level and stroked its mini-mane. It purred and rubbed up against my hand.

As I stood up I turned, some unseen force made me walk to the north. Or at least what I thought was the north. After what seemed like 3 days of walking, I came to a cliff where I got on my knees and looked over the ledge, wondering what was down there. I could see trees and rocks, but not much else. I looked for any signs of life, but all I saw was a small building. I swung my feet over the edge of the cliff and sat, enjoying the warm feeling of the sunlight on my back.

Suddenly, I felt my eyes flutter closed. I was sleeping, but I wasn't. I could tell what was happening. I was falling, and not stopping. I opened my eyes when I realized this and kind of panicked. Only kind of. Then that unseen force was back, and it made some muscles in my back move back and forth. I heard a flapping sound, and I started rising. I did my best to see what was carrying me, and when I looked back, I saw two light brown, speckled wings. I gasped and smiled at the same time. I was actually flying!

Suddenly, I heard shuffling in the back room of the bus. I awoke to see Iggy setting up his drumset, and Fang tuning his guitar.

I stood up and rubbed my eyes sleepily as I walked into the room with them. I saw Nudge sitting in her favorite chair playing random chords on her bass, and Gazzy and Angel curled up in a beanbag chair together, both asleep. I smiled at them.

"What are you guys doing?" I said. "It's like-" I looked at my watch, "3 in the afternoon!"

Iggy chuckled as Fang said, "We're going to practice, because we're only 4 hours away from Atlanta."

"Ohh." I said and I nodded. Iggy finished setting up his drumset and started tuning it and adjusting his many cymbals.

I went and got my cherry-red guitar, and came into the "studio". We have only one sound-proof room on the bus, but it's fairly large and not very bumpy, so it's easy to practice while we're traveling.

I tuned my guitar and plugged it into the amp. I played a bluesy riff on it. Perfectly tuned, if I do say so myself.

"So what song are we gonna play?" I asked as I started hopping. If you haven't figured it out, I love music and when we're about to start practicing, it hypes me up so much.

"Me and Fang were just discussing that, and I believe we have found a good one." Iggy said to me, and Nudge smiled.

"What song?" I said, and Fang smirked.

"We're not going to tell you, but just play rhythm for me." Fang said, and I nodded, slightly confused. Fang put the guitar strap over his shoulder, and turned on his amp.

**(155 by +44)**

_Love. This is getting harder,_  
_And I can't seem to pick you out of the crowd._  
_But you, my dear, have been discoverd a liar._  
_And I'm afraid that this is building up for far too long._

_And this is not the time and place for us to speak like this._  
_If I had the thought, I'd never dream of it._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water._

_In a different time and place the words could make more sense._  
_In a perfect world, the future wouldn't make a dent._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water,_  
_Even though it's the last time._

_Love. This is getting the best of me._  
_And truth be told, you were the start of it all._  
_Now you, my dear, might end up lonely._  
_Before you go, there's something you should know._

_And this is not the time and place for us to speak like this._  
_If I had the thought, I'd never dream of it._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water._

_In a different time and place the words could make more sense._  
_In a perfect world, the future wouldn't make a dent._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water,_  
_Even though it's the last time._

_And this is not the time and place for us to speak like this._  
_If I had the thought, I'd never dream of it._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water._

_In a different time and place the words could make more sense._  
_In a perfect world, the future wouldn't make a dent._  
_So dry your hollow eyes, and let's go down to the water,_  
_Even though it's the last time._

_Please let's not speak._  
_Don't breathe a word,_  
_Even though it's the last time._

I smiled as we strummed the last chord together, as that was another of my favorite songs.

"I love that song!" I said, and Iggy smiled.

"And Travis Barker has some pretty good drums in it!" he said, and I smiled.

"So what should we do now?" I asked, and Nudge shrugged.

"Call of Duty?" Fang asked, and we all nodded eagerly.

So two hours of shooting random people later, we had to stop for some gas. I got off the bus behind Fang, and breathed in the fresh air. I walked into the small convenience store and grabbed a Pepsi and some barbecue chips.

I walked up to the counter to pay and the lady behind it smiled at me.

"You're not from around here, are you?" she asked me, and I shook my head.

"We're from California." I said as I gestured to Fang, Iggy, and Nudge who were standing behind me.

"Ohh." she said, and she rang us up. I gave her the money, and started walking back to the bus.

When we got back on, it was around 9:30 that night.

I wasn't really tired, but I fell asleep anyway, hoping to dream about flying again.__


End file.
